


Halloween Memories

by spookyawards_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-09-28
Updated: 2003-09-28
Packaged: 2019-04-27 07:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14420055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyawards_archivist/pseuds/spookyawards_archivist
Summary: "Enjoy the little things like Halloween costumes, Agent Scully."





	Halloween Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Spooky Awards](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Spooky_Awards), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [SpookyAwards' collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/spookyawards/profile).

 

Halloween Memories

## Halloween Memories

### by SLS

Halloween Memories  
by SLS  
Classification: S, Angst  
Rating: G - Walt Disney would approve. ;) Disclaimer: They don't belong to me...yada, yada, yada. 

Summary: "Enjoy the little things like Halloween costumes, Agent Scully..." 

Notes: This story takes place in October 2001, probably about a week before Halloween, and assumes William was born in May 2001. 

Feedback: I'd love it. Send to 

Archive: IWTB, XFMU, The Vision, Gossamer and at my site <http://kentuckybelle.secretcountry.net>

Everyone else, please let me know so I can come see. 

Thanks: To MeridyM, who is my beta extraordinaire. Thanks for assuring me on the "schmoopiness" factor too, hon. _g_ And a big HUG goes out to Polly, who was helpful in coming up with the title. You rawk, hon! 

Halloween Memories  
by SLS 

John Doggett pulled his truck into the Giant parking lot. He just needed a gallon of milk and a can of coffee, and judging by the few cars scattered around, it shouldn't take him long to get in and out. 

As he walked into the brightly lit store, the first thing to catch his eye was a Halloween display of plastic pumpkins and various bags of candy and costumes hanging from two racks that created an aisle amidst everything. As he passed through on his way to the dairy section, John spotted a woman, probably in her early 30s, and a little boy who looked about 6 or 7, looking through the costumes. 

"But Mom, I want to be Superman for Halloween," the little boy said, tugging at a red-caped costume on one of the racks. "Can I, please?" 

The woman glanced down at her son. "We'll see, Matt," she said, grabbing his free hand and gently pulling him away from the costumes, toward the check-out lanes. 

John chuckled to himself, walking to the milk refrigerators and grabbing himself a gallon. 

Earlier that day, when he'd gone to Scully's office at Quantico to ask her opinion about a case, he'd come across her looking at what appeared to be a tiny New York Yankees uniform on her desk. 

"What's that you got there, Agent Scully?" he'd asked. 

Dana looked up and gave a small smile. "It's William's Halloween costume," she said, holding it up for John to see. 

John studied it. The uniform came complete with a matching "NY" hat and miniature rubber baseball bat. "Never knew you were a baseball fan, much less a Yankees fan," he said with a grin. 

Dana laid the uniform back down and began to fold it carefully. "Well, I've only recently become a baseball person," she responded, her smile growing a little wider, as if she were recalling a baseball memory he was not privy to knowing. "And," she continued, her voice softer, almost a whisper. "Mulder was a Yankees fan." 

John looked down at his shoes, feeling a twinge of regret at her words. She had not spoken about Mulder directly in a while, but John knew how hard it was for her that he was missing these milestones in William's life. 

Five months old now, William was developing more and more personality, and as much as Scully obviously took joy in seeing him do and experience new things, she had to be thinking how Mulder would never get to see these things for himself. And that those "firsts" wouldn't happen a second time. 

John took a breath before he spoke again. "So, are you gonna take the little man around for candy? He doesn't even have any teeth yet," he added, trying to lighten the mood. 

Dana let out a low laugh. "Actually, my mom is having a gathering at her house on Halloween and asked me to bring William all dressed up so she could show him off to her friends," she explained, placing the uniform back in a shirt box. "It took me forever to find a Yankees uniform small enough." 

"Well, I'm sure he'll be the hit of the party," John said, feeling a bit wistful. "Now, the reason I came to see you..." 

* * *

As he walked back out to his truck, milk and coffee in hand, John's mind wandered to the time around Halloween nine years ago. Luke was six years old, and it was John's turn to take him costume shopping. 

He remembered the day as if it had happened only yesterday. They had headed to a Wal-Mart in the suburban Long Island neighborhood where the Doggetts lived. Before they had left the house, Barbara had given John some advice on how to dissuade Luke from choosing the most expensive costume based on the latest popular cartoon character or superhero. 

"I've been trying to convince him that he doesn't need to be Batman or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle to have a cool costume," she had said. "I'd love to just make him one that could last him a few years, actually." 

"Good to keep in mind, Barb," he had responded. Now, as they walked to the Halloween display, Luke ran straight for a rack with Batman, Superman and Spider-Man costumes. 

"This one, Daddy, I want this one!" he chanted, pulling at a Batman costume. John followed behind him, knowing the task he had ahead. 

"How about your Mom makes you a cowboy costume like this instead, Luke?" he said, taking a small-sized costume off the rack and holding it up against the little boy's body. "You'd have a one-of-a kind costume no one else would." 

Luke scrunched up his face a bit while he considered it. "Could I have a hat and carry a gun like you do, Daddy?" 

John chuckled softly to himself, deciding to work this angle for all he could. "What cowboy would be complete without those things, right?" he told Luke, crouching down to be eye-level with him. 

Luke glanced up at the Batman costume hanging just above him then back down at John. "If I go as a cowboy, will you be a sheriff and go with me?" he asked. 

John smiled at his son warmly. "Of course, I will, buddy," he said, pulling Luke into a hug. "I'm sure we could have your mom make me something to go with your cowboy costume." 

* * *

John pulled up into the driveway of his split-level house. Grabbing his groceries, he got out, walked up the sidewalk and his eye spotted a pumpkin that had been left on his front stoop. A note was attached from his next-door neighbor. "Thought you'd like to have this for the kiddies. \- Ms. Eyler" 

He picked up the pumpkin, went inside the house and deposited the milk, coffee and pumpkin on the kitchen counter. Looking at the pumpkin, John reflected again on that costume-shopping day with Luke. 

* * *

John had promised Luke that he could help carve the family's pumpkin that year. As soon as they walked back into the house from Wal-Mart, Luke bounced into the kitchen and told his mom how he wanted her to make him a cowboy costume to go trick-or-treating. Barbara gave John a grateful smile. 

"And Daddy's going to be a sheriff too!" Luke said excitedly, jumping up and down around his parents. 

Barbara looked at John, her expression amused. "You are?" she asked, trying not to laugh. 

He shook his finger at her. "Don't even say it," he said, grinning himself. He glanced down at Luke. "You ready to start on that pumpkin, partner?" 

Luke's eyes got wide again, and then he smiled. "Yay!" he yelped, dancing some more. John let out a laugh and walked to retrieve some paper towels and a large carving knife. 

"Let's head on out to the garage then," he said, grabbing the pumpkin from the top of the fridge and handing it to Luke. "You carry the pumpkin." 

* * *

John shook himself out the memory and put away the groceries. That Halloween, in 1992, would turn out to be Luke's last. He cringed at the memory of how hard it was to even go into a store around Halloween time the following year, and every year after that--even up to last Halloween. 

He walked into the living room and pulled out a photo album from a bookcase. Flipping through the pages, he stopped at one that Barbara had taken of him and Luke in their costumes. 

Staring at Luke's big smile, displaying a couple of open spaces where baby teeth had once been, John felt a tingle of pain in his chest. He recalled the last thing he had told Dana as he walked out of her office earlier that day. 

"Enjoy the little things like Halloween costumes, Agent Scully," he had said, standing in the doorway to her office. "They're some of the best memories you can have." 

Dana smiled. She understood. "I will, Agent Doggett." 

* * *

He closed the album and replaced it on the shelf. Heading upstairs, he walked to his bedroom, changed into his pajama boxers and climbed into bed. 

Before turning off the light to go to sleep, he looked over at the picture frame on his nightstand. He smiled. 

It was the Halloween picture of him and Luke.   
  


#### If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to SLS


End file.
